Intelligent System and Apparatus Providing Physical Activity Feedback

• US 20180161623A1
• Filed: 12/12/2016
• Published: 06/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jason Nejezchleb
• Original Assignee: Jason Nejezchleb
• Inventors: Nejezchleb, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 10,987,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0009 Computerised real time comparison with previous movements or motion sequences of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0655 Tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0661 arranged on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/12 Classification; Matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training

Abstract

This document presents a system and method for using an intelligent belt and a remote secondary sensor to obtain instantaneous feedback during the performance of physical activities. A remote secondary sensor may be attached to a conveyance associated with, and in use by, a user. The intelligent belt uses a position sensor, such as a 3-axis accelerometer, to monitor the movements of a user and a conveyance such as an athletic apparatus, or any other apparatus upon which a user may stand, move, or with which the user may be associated. The belt is capable of determining when certain physical activities are not being performed properly in comparison to a preferred and pre-configured performance, and can provide real-time feedback using visual, aural, haptic, and other feedback mechanisms.

Claims

1. A system for providing physical activity feedback, comprising:

a first sensor apparatus associated with a first physical orientation, the first sensor apparatus having one or more feedback mechanisms;

a second sensor apparatus associated with a second physical orientation;

the first sensor apparatus collecting first physical orientation data and the second sensor apparatus collecting second physical orientation data;

a network capable communication capability establishing and maintaining a bi-directional data communication channel between the first sensor apparatus and the second sensor apparatus;

a software module associated with the second sensor apparatus operative to transmit the second physical orientation data from the second sensor apparatus to the first sensor apparatus utilizing the bi-directional data communication channel;

a software module associated with the first sensor apparatus operative to receive the second physical orientation data from the second sensor apparatus and comparing the second physical orientation data with the first physical orientation data;

a software module associated with the first sensor apparatus operative to analyze the comparison data to determine differences between the first physical orientation and the second physical orientation and create adjustment feedback signals;

a software module associated with the first sensor apparatus operative to transmit the created adjustment feedback signals to the one or more feedback mechanisms, where the feedback signals permit a user to adjust the first physical orientation in response to the feedback signals.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wearable apparatus associated with the first sensor apparatus or the second sensor apparatus.

3. The system of claim 2, where the wearable apparatus is a belt, strap, or other article of clothing into which the first sensor apparatus or second sensor apparatus may be completely enclosed.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising feedback mechanisms for providing visual, thermal, auditory, and/or haptic feedback to a user.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising transmitting physical orientation information from the user after the user has adjusted the first physical orientation in response to the feedback signals.

6. The system of claim 1, where the first sensor apparatus may be associated with a user and the second sensor apparatus may be placed in a position associated with a surface or conveyance with which the user is in contact.

7. The system of claim 2, where the wearable apparatus may be divided into a pre-determined number of sections, each section of which may be separately addressable by the system.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a recording apparatus that collects physical orientation data from the first sensor apparatus and the second sensor apparatus and stores the collected physical orientation data to an electronic storage apparatus.

9. The system of claim 8, where the stored collected physical orientation data for the first sensor apparatus or the second sensor apparatus may be retrieved from an electronic storage apparatus and transmitted to the first sensor apparatus or the second sensor apparatus to perform a comparison between the retrieved physical orientation data and physical orientation data newly collected by the first sensor apparatus and/or the second sensor apparatus.

10. The system of claim 8, where the collected physical orientation data may be associated with a position, a motion, a maneuver, and/or a drill, and where the collected physical orientation data for positions, motions, maneuvers and drills may be concatenated to a set of physical orientation data that provides feedback that permits a user to learn the movements represented by the collected physical orientation data by adhering to the feedback to adjust the user physical orientation such that the difference between the user physical orientation and the collected physical orientation decreases when compared.

11. A method for providing physical activity feedback, comprising:

providing a user with a first sensor apparatus associated with a first physical orientation, the first sensor apparatus having one or more feedback mechanisms;

providing a second sensor apparatus associated with a second physical orientation;

the first sensor apparatus collecting first physical orientation data and the second sensor apparatus collecting second physical orientation data;

establishing a network capable communication capability and maintaining a bi-directional data communication channel between the first sensor apparatus and the second sensor apparatus;

transmitting the second physical orientation data from the second sensor apparatus to the first sensor apparatus utilizing the bi-directional data communication channel;

the first sensor apparatus receiving the second physical orientation data from the second sensor apparatus and comparing the second physical orientation with the first physical orientation;

analyzing the comparison data to determine differences between the first physical orientation and the second physical orientation and create adjustment feedback signals;

transmitting the created adjustment feedback signals to the one or more feedback mechanisms, where the feedback signals permit a user to adjust the first physical orientation in response to the feedback signals.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising a wearable apparatus associated with the first sensor apparatus or the second sensor apparatus.

13. The method of claim 12, where the wearable apparatus is a belt, strap, or other article of clothing into which the first sensor apparatus or second sensor apparatus may be completely enclosed.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising feedback mechanisms for providing visual, thermal, auditory, and/or haptic feedback to a user.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting physical orientation information from the user after the user has adjusted the first physical orientation in response to the feedback signals.

16. The method of claim 11, where the first sensor apparatus is associated with a user and the second sensor apparatus is placed in a position associated with a surface or conveyance with which the user is in contact.

17. The method of claim 12, where the wearable apparatus is divided into a pre-determined number of sections, each section of which is separately addressable by the system.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising a recording apparatus that collects physical orientation data from the first sensor apparatus and the second sensor apparatus and stores the collected physical orientation data to an electronic storage apparatus.

19. The method of claim 18, where the stored collected physical orientation data for the first sensor apparatus or the second sensor apparatus may be retrieved from an electronic storage apparatus and transmitted to the first sensor apparatus or the second sensor apparatus to perform a comparison between the retrieved physical orientation data and physical orientation data newly collected by the first sensor apparatus and/or the second sensor apparatus.

20. The method of claim 18, where the collected physical orientation data may be associated with a position, a motion, a maneuver, and/or a drill, and where the collected physical orientation data for positions, motions, maneuvers and drills may be concatenated to a set of physical orientation data that provides feedback that permits a user to learn the movements represented by the collected physical orientation data by adhering to the feedback to adjust the user physical orientation such that the difference between the user physical orientation and the collected physical orientation decreases when compared.